Cracker Jack'd: Lint

Music stars seize the mundane in lo-fi videos from Rally, Seattle

Published on Aug 28, 2013

Editor's Pick

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis are living large these days, given their rapid rise to music stardom, but this new Cracker Jack'd campaign, created out of Rally, Seattle shows how their "epic" lives translate to everyday scenarios. A series of decidedly lo-fi videos captures the stars in situations inspired by classic duo-themed TV shows, like "The Odd Couple" or "Starsky & Hutch," yet they're doing extremely mundane things, from petting a cat and picking lint to ironing a shirt or calling Mom.

As for the connection to the brand, PepsiCo/Frito-Lay's youth-targeted spinoff of the classic popcorn treat, Rally Partner/CD Keith Goldberg said, "The essence of Cracker Jack'D, in all of its nine flavor combinations, is it's a snack that fuels you -- and is a catalyst that helps you 'seize your day' no matter what life throws at you." Which includes, of course, boring, everyday chores.

The videos will roll out on the Cracker Jack'd Facebook page, YouTube, XXLmag.com and CollegeHumor.com. Fans will also be able to win some of the goods featured in th films--like an ironing board or lint roller--signed by the artists.

"The idea came out of conversations with the guys, who mentioned that before stardom, no one ever recognized them," said Mr. Goldberg, who co-directed the videos with Vince Werner of Clatter & Din. "Whereas now, they can barely cross a street without it being recorded, commented upon, and made to seem epic. So, as befits the down-to-earth, keeping-it-real personality of the two -- who still fly coach and are the opposite of artists who spend their time trying for a mention on TMZ -- we decided to poke fun at their sudden God-like status by showing the 'epic' ways they seize the elements of their day."

Mr. Goldberg also notes that the tongue-in-cheek storytelling aims to stay authentic to the artists' voice and plays to the tastes of the brand's target audience. Macklemore and Lewis are "grateful for the fame and fortune that has come their way but think some of the trappings of the 'star lifestyle' can be a bit silly," said Mr. Goldberg. "The POV of the videos also relates to the ironic sensibility of millennial consumers who Macklmeore & Ryan Lewis have been so successful in reaching."